Plato’s Closet

Athenian philosopher Plato is said to have been an early advocate of recycling, so when Lynn and Dennis Blum were in the process of founding a store devoted to selling and buying gently used name brand clothing in 1998, they decided to use the Ancient Greek innovator’s name.

Today, Plato’s Closet has stores locally owned across the country. Frederick’s store opened its doors in 2010 and has been helping tweens, teens and 20-somethings refresh their fashion inventory ever since.

“It saves you money to be buying clothes that are 70 percent off potentially from their original prices,” says Stephanie Smith, owner of the Frederick store. “Some of (the pieces) are very gently used. Some of them still have tags on them and have never been worn.”

By buying gently used items, folks can reduce not only their environmental impact but their economic one as well. Smith notes some of the name-brand products are produced in countries with poor labor laws. By not directly buying the product from the distributor, customers are able to wear the clothes they like without directly benefiting the brands.

Patrons may also sell their gently used name brands to the store for cash on the spot.

“You don’t have to wait,” Smith says. “(Payment) is immediate.”

Many customers have worn and loved the items they are turning in “but they want to refresh their closet and they want to feel good about doing it. While they are selling to us, they can also do a little bit of shopping then do a trade. They can use the cash we are giving them to purchase the items that they want.”

The store accepts designer styles as well as everyday basics in clothing, shoes and accessories that are clean with no stains or fading.

“We buy all day, every day,” Smith says. “We buy hundreds of items every day. It is a constant rotation in the store. There are people that stop in many times a week just because they know we have new stuff out every day.”

The store was recently remodeled for a more modern look including brand-new flooring and wall paint.

One of Smith’s favorite aspects of her store is working with her staff — mainly made up of high school and college students. She is able to see each employee grow in confidence as they master soft skills such as communication, problem solving, time management and teamwork. Smith notes these skills will serve them well in their future endeavors.